Galactic Blogger » Plugs

Celebration V – SURVIVE

Adam_May — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:33:49 +0000

Spending Warm Summer Days Indoors…

So here’s the breakdown — I live in “Hotlanta” now, but I was born and braised in Florida. My partner and I lived in Orlando (tip — don’t call it “O-Town”) and I’m going to cut through all of the shiny, sunny public relations spiel to give you advice that you’ll need to survive and enjoy Star Wars Celebration V.

Having been to events at the Convention Center, it is problematic (at best) to keep the venue cooled at the peak of summer heat. Being anywhere in Florida, in August, it’s swelteringly hot. It is really up to you to stay cool. If someone doesn’t gauge the HVAC to combat the blistering heat outside, then add in a throng of "unconventional conventionists" (to borrow a phrase) and things can become rather uncomfortable.

#1. Hydration — You know all those studies that have said that caffeinated drinks lead to dehydration? They were paid for by companies that want to sell you bottled water. Even a caffeinated drink can give your body vital fluids. That Coke Zero Cherry (my choice) will give you ample hydration, but, as with every other drink, you'll need to keep a constant supply flowing through your body. A soda loaded with HFCS, though, will put a strain on your body as it processes that mess, and it's not going to do you much good at all.

Top picks to keep your body happily hydrated include Power Ade Zero — avoid the red and blue ones — which has no calories and all the basics that one looks for in a "sports drink", Vitamin Water Zero (which has kept me out of the hospital at least once) and, naturally, WATER. (Gatorade, which was invented at the University of Florida, and its "lower calorie" G2 varieties are are still sweetened with sugar and HFCS. Read your labels!)

I assume that we're all adults here, and if you indulge too much, drink TWICE the "hydrating beverage" and keep it flowing. In the summer heat, a hangover can lead to the hospital very quickly. I'm never one to turn down a cocktail, but my "after-party" is always followed by a heavy flush of liquids that aren't going to make my innards turn against me.

#2. Fans — Those little battery-powered fans (even old-fashioned hand-fans) are great, but they aren't air-conditioners. Some even have little "water misting" devices for that extra bit of cool – and it keeps your "face" on if you're wearing make-up. I still recommend grabbing one (and they're available most anywhere) just for that little waft of breeze that offers that little extra bit of comfort. I don't care if I look like an old church lady, I bust out the little fan, and if I could, I'd have a Jawa with a giant palm-frond fanning me, Jabba The Hutt-style. (Well, not a Jawa, but Jake Gyllenhaal won't even wave his restraining order at me.)

#3. Hygiene — Use a deodorant with antiperspirant. We all want to smell clean and fresh, but a river of sweat is your body forcing water out to cool you down, depriving your inner organs. (See #1.) Unless your dermatologist has diagnosed you with hyper-hydrosis, profuse sweating is a sign that you need to slow your pace and gulp down about two pints of water STAT.

I also recommend Comme des Garçons Incense Avignon Series 3 and No. 88 by Czech and Speake, but I'm a scent snob. (Guys! Ditch that Axe stuff. It's made for teenage boys, not grown men.)

Bonus Tip! Dusting your pits and parts (that sweat) with Gold Bond or even regular baby powder can reduce profuse sweating (and stains). Just be careful not to get white streaks all over your clothes.

#4. Relax — It is practically impossible to see and do everything you want to do at a Star Wars Celebration. When you find that little extra bit of free time, take a break! Sit, hydrate, fan, chill, etc. Your body is a machine, and if you don't pace yourself you'll be in for a world of hurt when you go back to your hotel. Unless you regularly run marathons, you may be able to rush around and do a lot, but you'll suffer the consequences sooner or later.

#5. Health — In any massive hive of scum and villainy, the chance that you'll catch some random bug increases substantially. Take your vitamins. A chewable multi-vitamin will be absorbed by your body better than a lumpy pill that your digestive system won't completely process. Two childrens chewable vitamins will actually give you more vitamins than an adult a-to-zinc pill. (For my fellow vegetarians and vegans, sorry, but the chewables on regular store shelves are likely to have gelatin, so check your veg-friendly or health food store for options.)

If you think you're falling ill… I'm sure you'll know what to do. (That is where my advice ends, and your need to see a doctor begins.)

Please print this friendly bit of opinionated advice out, and when you see your friendly Galactic Blogger nursing a hangover, you can use the print out to fan me whilst calling me a hypocrite. (I did say I used to live in Orlando, but I'm not telling you where the party's at.)*

*I am as pure as driven sludge, but I can promise you that I won't stink. I'll also be doing everything I can to stay cool. (No-hipster.)

2009 — A Year In Refute, Too (Mea Culpa)

Adam_May — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:29:35 +0000

First off, this should have been posted on SATURDAY (because of the rich heritage of cool Star Wars action figure and toy commercials) but AT&T decided to have a day of digital schizophrenia (i.e. home connection went up and down and all-around).

After writing a brief and not-too-kind rundown of toys from The Clone Wars action figure line, by Hasbro, I read and re-read the piece. It felt like a summary dismissal. So I busted out every ‘toon toy that I could find, and I had a blast with them. Since my motto is, "DisPLAY with your toys!" I started setting up a cool display for them, and — as we slide into American International Toy Fair 2010 — I’m going to feature the fun that I found just by taking the time to have some fun with a pretty incredible (and vast — it’s Clones-A-Go-Go around here) toy line. Just ignore any obvious hot glue, please.

So… to kick things off, here’s the official Turbo Tank commercial from the coolness-makers at Hasbro. [Please note that this commercial was produced by Hasbro, and is presented here by GalacticHunter in HD resolution for your viewing pleasure.]

Here’s a short link to share this with your friends: http://bit.ly/9oMBkF (kids get your parents’ permission, etc. etc.) and have fun! Why the heck didn’t I find an HD version of this on YouTube???

Dégueulasse, Tes Jours Sont Comptés!

Adam_May — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:42:51 +0000

Merci, Mssr Truffaut, éternellement…

Tying up some of 2009′s loose ends, I think we’ve seen the last of Q&A until Toy Fair 2010. (Save the date — all the sites — will be working hard for you on/around/through St. Valentine’s Day.) I bit my tongue holding back (and hoping) that Imperial Scanning Crewman #2 would miraculously appear, but eventually Hasbro relayed the bad news. Sometimes in passing one of those non-Q&A questions will be answered.

While not part of the Q&A itself, because, frankly, it would be a waste of a perfectly good question, I asked about the extra ports/holes on the Build-A-Droid Astromech body (rumors had flown through about a Battle Pack that would come with add-on pieces and/or a Droid Factory Playset that would do much the same). So what were those ports/holes for?

What are the extra side holes/ports for on the Legacy/Build-A-Droid Astromech body? I’ve been puzzling over it for a year.

The answer — as obvious as snow, as if we didn’t know —

"On the Astro body, the side holes were sort of inspired by the other (non-R2) parts in the original [Blogger's Note: Vintage-Era] Droid Factory – extra places you could put additional appendages, if you wish. So you could have your Astro walk like a puppy, for example…put legs in the rear slot, or in upright mode move the legs down and add arms."

So there you have it. If you’ve wondered… go forth and be creative. Feel free to send in photos (adam@galacticblogger.com) to show your support for the BEST pack-in we’ve had in the entire run of Star Wars toys. [By sending in photography, you permit GalacticBlogger.com to use photographs in the capacity of this Internet blog/column. You retain your ownership and copyright.] Extremely creative Astro-modders may be picked for nifty prize-like things that are cluttering up the GalacticBlogger.com toybox/home-office. [Kids get your parents' permission before doing ANYTHING.]

Can you listen to yourself for just once in your life?

Adam_May — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:28:19 +0000

OK Collectors… It’s time that someone knock some sense into a bunch of you. First I want to lay things out from my perspective. I’ve been collecting since the "Peek-A-Boo" testing-the-waters soft launch of the line in 1995. Well, that or senility has set in early. As a struggling student, I lived on bread and jam for a few weeks, and, of course, the mall food court crew were generous.

From the amazing set of reproduction vintage style figures to the modern, mind-boggling, extreme-articulation in practically every figure from here on out — I’ve seen the line shift up and down, and I’ve seen segments that I loved (Cinema Scenes and Screen Scenes) come and go. I am adjusted to the ebb and flow. Many newer collectors don’t have that perspective. I’ve seen figures get nixed, and I’ve had my share of disappointment.

(Hasbro! If you’re reading this, pull that Trophy Assortment Swamp Obi-Wan Kenobi out of cold storage, add a STAP attacking him, and I think that would be the formula for some sort of Battle Pack. There it is… public domain. Go for it! Also, if you need someone to root through cold storage, I can be on the first thing that zooms from ATL to RI, just drop a dime, an e-mail, a text, a tweet…) [As always, thanks to Bill from Yakface.com for use of his Swamp Obi-Wan Kenobi Figure.]

The rapid free-fall of the global economy has made a profound impact on the collector-based segments. Kids can nag Mom and Dad. Collectors are used to being able to snap up a lot of whatever we want, and we’re having to cut back on our spending a lot. (Yes, even Bloggers — the media elite — have had to cut back. I have yet to see the Wal-Mart 2-Packs for The Clone Wars or the AT-ST.) Hasbro has to respond to the economic crash until things turn around. Remember that it was us (the collectors) who pulled the line back out of the mud with the Power of the Jedi line. When the economy steers back — and it will — we’ll be back out there buying Legacy stuff up as quickly as Hasbro can make it. Legacy (or whatever they’ll call it) is the foundation that all of the other lines are built on. It’s not going away.

I hate to say it, but the extreme EU-centric stuff in the Comic 2-Pack line did not sell. I can run to a few Wal-Marts and snap some pix to show you how they piled up, and the "Hero" pieces were snapped up by Moms and Dads. (Luke/Lumiya, Vader/Rebel, Stormtrooper Han/Chewie, and Stormtrooper Luke/R2 — those didn’t hang around much, but your mileage may vary.© Adam Pawlus)

Regarding "canceled" figures hopefully you know by now that Utris M’toc (the alien guard) IS NOT CANCELED. He will ship with the Expanded Universe Assortment. (Naturally, we all encourage Hasbro to look at the Bespin Guard again and again in 2010 because we’ll need guards to load a carbonite block into our Slave 1*.) This takes some explaining. The Hoth Rebel Trooper (sans beard) fell into a Poodoo Happens situation at the factory level. We all make mistakes, and we’ve been told that he’ll be in a Battle Pack next year (probably running from Snowtroopers, but still…) The main point is, he’ll be released. The second Utai, who knows? Maybe they’ll put the Boga back out again with the little Utai trying to wrangle him? I don’t believe that Hasbro will let that level of tooling go to waste.

*I’m now fairly convinced that a new Slave 1 will not make it to market in early 2010.

Hasbro is working very hard to make sure that the last of the Comic 2-Pack segment make it to retail. Don’t lose faith.

The richness of this whole line is something everyone should consider. The ill-fated Princess Leia Collection still puts some of the modern versions to shame. The comical Spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi which required eating potato chips and Stormtrooper Han Solo, which required eating treacly cereal — definitely not something most of us should be doing. The paperboard pop-up playsets — they meant well, but in real plastic those two environments would cost a lot. They did their best with those sets. (I still pine for the canned Echo Base pop-up playset, which Hasbro could stuff inside a Hoth Rebel Transport to make sure it sells.) The Cinema Scenes and later Screen Scenes were so rich with all the stuff collectors love, but they were very niche market, and retailers seemed to hate them.

If you’re thinking about bailing, please consider this: WHAT OTHER TOY-MAKERS WOULD GIVE COLLECTORS LOVE IN THE FORM OF PORKINS, BO SHEK, AND WILLROW HOOD? Answer — none. Hasbro has listened to our pleas (and my constant whinging) to make a Jabba The Hutt, and I know that he will be a BMF (Big Mafioso Frontman) all on his own, and do you think Hasbro is going to let other licensees upstage them? (No!) So the set that I wrote about in 2004(?) will finally come to fruition (and then some). For the "Wait For Clearance" crowd, if the retail partner winds up being the big red bullseye, I will wipe them out all across the country (because I can do that), and I will wreak havoc on your plans.

[Yo SIDESHOW! You never sent me back a replacement glass since mine arrived broken.]

Getting back to the richness of the line, I can point out the countless amazing aliens — Wol Cabasshite (a/k/a "The Thing That Licks C-3PO), Bubo the frog-dog, and Ephant Mon come quickly to mind. In all honesty, the wealth of amazing creatures is something I dreamed of as a child, and I would have never thought that I’d see them in my lifetime. I bet many of you more mature collectors would agree about the wealth of amazing creatures and characters. Think of ALL the Rebel Pilots (and I’m officially lobbying for "Original / ‘Fake’ Wedge").

Speaking of mature collectors, the new meme seems to be "It’s like 1985 all over again!!!" Well, it’s not, and if you don’t stop that, I will hack into your computer and play "Do They Know It’s Christmas?" [it's the new Rick-Roll, but I can't say its nickname due to the PG-13 crowd] over and over until your ears bleed.

OK, to try to avoid making this TLDR, I’ll wrap this up. Rumors of Legacy‘s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Hasbro had a lot of faith in us with the new Millennium Falcon, so have a little faith in them. Wait until February, and we will bust our humps to show you the goods. (If there are no goods to be shown, then I’ll loot the Littlest Pet Shop display because it costs more than a couple thousand to go there, stay in a decent hotel, and eat overpriced food.)

Trouble Loves Me

Adam_May — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:47:31 +0000

OK… some technological issues caused a slight delay in getting this out there, but congratulations to Joe Jr Lusignolo, who is the winner in the Galactic Blogger Show Us Your BMF Contest.

I had planned on rolling this contest around just a little bit until (hopefully) a ~~Turbo Tank Holiday Value Set~~ was unveiled for the warehouse clubs, but, as we found out in the last Q&A, there won’t be one. (Oh no!) So I’m going to put together a Turbo Tank with a Turbo Tank Gunner Crew Deluxe Set and some other cool stuff to make a DIY set. Here’s Joe’s winning submission:

Shirtlifters of the World Unite

Adam_May — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:44:38 +0000

First off, who in the world thought I would ever be sharing press pages with the supremely fabulous Donatella Versace? Well, I am, and here’s why…

Taken from the October 2009 issue of Out magazine (with love to Michael and Lawrence) as written by Mark Simpson:

Adam May is not attending Comic-Con this year. “I’ve only been to Comic-Con once,” he tells me on the line from his home in Atlanta. “I have a panic attack just looking at photos! It’s sensory overload for me.”

Adam May who describes himself as “Atlanta’s answer to the wrong question” has the distinction of being the first openly gay Star Wars action figure. Many are called; few are chosen.

Adam’s plastic obsession began the first time he saw Princess Leia. “Carrie Fisher with those buns on her head – she really was my first gay experience.” Star Wars helped Adam grow up, in a manner of speaking: he had a speech impediment as a child, and by repeating Luke Skywalker’s lines over and over he helped himself “talk it out.”

[Redacted overlaying segment of copy directly unrelated to subject, see OUT Magazine, October 2009 — Featuring the Fabulous Donatella Versace Cover. Page 51 is the best place to start.]

Other gays mostly recoil in horror though when they discover Adam’s plastic habit. “They typically assume I’m some strange man-child. I joke that the ’80s jingle—‘I don’t want to grow up, I’m a Toys R Us kid!’—wasn’t just a jingle. It was an oath!.”

“I’ve reached the point where I don’t care what anyone thinks about my toy [obsession]. That said, I do try to keep my gay friends away from the Three Story Toy Box. I have a collection of about 10,000 action figures* — with all of the accoutrements that go with them (space ships, play sets, lightsabres). The stairwell in my house has a wall that is 2 1/2 stories of shelving, acrylic risers and every Star Wars figure that Hasbro has made.”

Including the one they made of Adam himself after he won a competition to have a Star Wars action figure based on him. He chose the name Stormy Sevenspire–an anagram for Steven P Morrissey. “I had hired a make-up artist to paint me up as I wanted to be in action figure likeness. I made sure the hair was just the right kind of quiff.”

*The 10,000 number is a rough number, and it does include myriad toy lines, but hundreds of Stormtroopers can’t be wrong. I’m a toy junkie.

The Queen Is Dead

Adam_May — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:08:46 +0000

On Tuesday, I had to attend an Atlanta City Council meeting to speak out against a brutal, thuggish attack by the Atlanta Police’s "Red Dog" Squad against a local gay bar. While listening to one of the owners of the bar speak, he mentioned that he was just a bit of a sci-fi nerd, and that Carrie Fisher had called to check on him. I had to walk away, or I’d have lost it.

In honor of Her Truly Royal Majesty…

There’s a cash register ringing, and it weighs so heavy on my back… (AGAIN!)

Adam_May — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:07:59 +0000

Thanks to one of my home crowd heroes here in Atlanta on the ASWCC (Atlanta Star Wars Collectors Club), there’s a deal to be had. How good is this deal? Try a Turbo Tank for pennies less than $65 shipped!

Atlanta’s Darth Pharaoh writes:

"Target.com has a deal online only. 10 off Hasbro purchase of 30 or more, 20 off 60 or more and 30 off 90 or more. Plus use the code 4MMHDHBE during checkout and get another 10% off plus free shipping. I just ordered the Turbo Tank and the total with tax was 64.79. A really good deal I just couldn’t pass up."

Note: This is NOT a paid or sponsored post.

I Can Have Both

Adam_May — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:35:46 +0000

The Ballad of Stormy Sevenspire…

"Stormy Sevenspire was a Jedi archaeologist ("picker") who survived Order 66 through sheer miscommunication and went to ground when Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi sent out their order to do so from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Using archaeology, instinct, and unfettered skill, he lives to find other Jedi who heeded the call to go-to-ground." —— Character bio, The Legacy Collection

As one of the few characters in the EU (hey, Lucas approved the name and back-story) with an active voice, Stormy Sevenspire is officially throwing his hat into the ring to be your Expanded Universe candidate.

Stormy Sevenspire actively supports the resurrection of the Jedi Order, and, along with his assistant, they weave among thieves to salvage important Jedi artifacts and send spy reports to the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire.

Stormy Sevenspire is the only candidate in the running who has been "manufactured", and this is the only chance that will allow others to own a piece of Jedi history! Stormy Sevenspire will even carry an ice cream maker if needed.

Voting ends soon, so remember the name Stormy Sevenspire. This rare chance to choose a figure through Hasbro’s Star Wars Fan Choice voting is your opportunity to steer the course at Hasbro. The power is yours!

OK, so now that that’s out of the way, we have some goodies for you (and, no, this isn’t to buy votes). There have been some technical difficulties getting the high resolution PDF files of the posters/checklists for the Legacy Collection and The Clone Wars. Here’s what we do have two truly amazing images from the posters that are suitable for printing, and a cool checklist. We’re working on getting high-resolution, printable checklists that can be dispersed to spouses, partners, and anyone else who will snag new figures for you! Stay tuned.

As always, CLICK TWICE to go SUPERSIZED

EXTREME LOAD TIME

Legacy Collection High Resolution PNG Version (Lossless)
EXTREME LOAD TIME

Legacy Collection High Resolution JPG
(Faster Load Time)

Legacy Collection Checklist JPG

EXTREME LOAD TIME

The Clone Wars High Resolution PNG Version (Lossless)
EXTREME LOAD TIME

The Clone Wars High Resolution JPG
(Faster Load Time)

The Clone Wars Checklist JPG

Shame Is The Name

Adam_May — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:42:34 +0000

Stormy Sevenspire is the only candidate in the running who has been "manufactured", and this is the only chance that will allow others to own a piece of Jedi history!

On August 8th, when balloting begins, remember the name Stormy Sevenspire. The rare chance to choose a figure through Hasbro’s Star Wars Fan Choice voting is a rare opportunity to steer the course at Hasbro. The power is yours!

More information will be available at StormySevenspire.com.